Apparatus for taping coins to packets



March 29, 1966 K. PEDLER 3,243,333

APPARATUS FOR TAPINC- COINS TO PACKETS Filed March 26, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG] INVENTOR KEI TH PEDLER BY QMX QM ATTORNEY March 29, 1966 K. PEDLER 3,243,333

APPARATUS FOR TAPING COINS TO PACKETS Filed March 26, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS INVENTOR.

KEl TH PEDLER A TTORNEY March 29, 1966 K. PEDLER 3,243,333

APPARATUS FOR TAPING COINS TO PACKETS Filed March 26, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

KEITH PEIDLER BY j/A Z @dfi ATTORNEY which do not incorporate change-giving devices.

United States Patent 3,243,333 APPARATUS FOR TAPING COINS T0 PACKETS Keith Pedler, West Pennant Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, assignor to Norton Company, Troy, N.Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 182,316 2 Claims. (Cl. 156-562) The present invention relates to an apparatus for taping coins to packets being dispensed from a coinoperated vending machine.

There are many coin freed vending machines in use Usually such machines are freed by the insertion of one or more coins of relatively large predetermined denomination, having a value in excess of a unit of the goods to be sold, and the necessary change for each sale is previously secured by an adhesive tape to each unit of goods to be dispensed therewith. The increasing use of vending machines to dispense, in addition to cigarettes, items such as nylon stockings, food packages, etc. makes this problem increasingly complex.

Various methods and apparatus for taping a coin (or coins) to packets of goods for this purpose have been proposed heretofore, in which the coin is deposited upon the packets as the packets move along on a conveyor or the like and then a length of tape is applied to the packet over the coins thereon to hold the coin in place. There is usually some unavoidable vibration of the packet after the coin has been placed on it and before the tape is applied, and it has been found that the coin sometimes becomes misplaced because of this vibration so that it is not effectively covered by the tape when it is applied. The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the above indicated disability of prior known apparatus.

The invention consists primarily in an apparatus for taping at least one coin to a packet adapted to perform the steps of placing the coin upon the adhesive side of a continuous length of adhesive tape, then placing the packet upon the coin so as to cover the coin and a part of the tape including portions projecting beyond the coin in both directions, pressing at least some of each said portion into adhesive contact with the packet and severing the said part of the tape from the said length of tape.

It is preferred that the step of placing the coin on the tape be effected by moving the coin and the tape at the same speed along converging paths until the coin meets the tape and becomes adhered thereto.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a double ended apparatus for taping coins to packets according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1 with one end leg partly cut away.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional side elevation taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 but drawn to a larger scale.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional side elevation taken on line 55 of FIGURE 2 but drawn to a larger scale.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional end elevation taken on line 66 of FIGURE 2 but drawn to a larger scale.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional end elevation taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 2 but drawn to a larger scale.

As indicated above, the illustrated apparatus is double ended, that is to say it consists of two virtually complete sets of apparatus arranged end-to-end but sharing a centrally placed driving motor. Except that one end set is right-handed and the other is left-handed and except for minor modifications required to connect each "ice set to the driving motor, they are identical. Advantage has been taken of this to restrict the detail drawings (FIGURES 3 to 7) to illustrations of one end only. Where convenient however corresponding reference numerals have been placed on corresponding parts of both ends to indicate the identity of those parts.

The illustrated apparatus is directed to the application of three coins of different denominations and thickness to each packet being dispensed; however, it will be realized that the invention is not limited to any specific number or type of coins.

The example of the apparatus now being described includes a double ended bed plate 8 on which the various parts of the apparatus are mounted. The bed plate 8 is provided with suitable legs 9 or the like projecting upwardly from a base-plate 10 for the support of the apparatus.

An electric motor 19, mounted below the bed plate 8, is drive connected to a suitable gear box 11, or other speed reducing device, having a vertical output shaft 12 extending upwardly through the bed plate 8.

The gear box output shaft 12 has a crank arm 13 on its top end. The crank arm 13 is connected by a connecting rod 14 to a double ended ram element slidable in guides 15 longitudinally of the bed plate 8. The arrangement is such that when the motor 10 is running, the ram element is caused to reciprocate in the guides and it will be appreciated that any other conventional apparatus may be used to cause the ram element to move in this manner.

The double ended ram element comprises two spaced side members 16 fixedly joined together by bridge pieces 17, 17A and 18. Bridge piece 17 carries a bearing pin 19 for connection to one end of the connecting rod 14 while each of the bridge pieces is a packet pusher element having its upper face a somewhat lesser distance from the upper surface of the bed plate '8 than the thickness of the packets to which the coins are to be taped.

The ram element has -a coin transfer plate 20 at each end. Each transfer plate 20 is a thin plate having a thickness slightly less than the thinnest of the coins to be transferred and lies flatly against the top surface of the bed plate 8 on which the ram element slides.

Two groups of three upright tubular, open ended, coin magazines, 21, 22 and 23 respectively, are disposed above the ram element with their bottom ends extending downwardly between the side members 16 of the ram element. The space between the bottom end of each coin magazine and the bed plate 8 is more than the thickness of one of the coins with which the magazine in question is loaded, but less than the thickness of two such coins. When the ram element moves through a forward stroke (the direction of which is different for each end of the apparatus) the leading edge of the coin transfer plate 20, in sliding underneath the coin magazines, pushes the bottom coins in front of it and at the same time supports the remaining coins in the magazines 21, 22 and 23. The leading or pushing edge of each of the transfer plates preferably has a stepped U-shaped bight in it (as illustrated) which locates the coins being transferred by the plate and prevents them moving laterally of the plate as they are being pushed forward by it. It will be noted that in each group of magazines the magazine 21 for the thickest coins is ahead of the next thickest coin magazine 22 which is itself ahead of the thinnest coin magazine. Thus the thinnest coin being transferred by either plate 20 may slide under the next magazine without fouling and likewise both the first and second coins may slide under the third magazine.

Two rolls of adhesive tape 24 are rotatably mounted below the bed plate 8 and the tape 24A of each roll feeds from that roll through a slot 25 in the bed plate 8 closely in front of the rear edge of the smallest coin at the point where it is deposited. Each forward motion of either end of the ram element causes a corresponding movement of the tape from the associated roll 24 (by means to be described hereinafter) and at the same time ejects a coin from each coin magazine of the corresponding group. As the ejected coins are transferred past the slot 25 in the bed plate 8 they are brought into contact with the tape 24A emerging therefrom and both the tape and coins are then travelling at the same speed. Thus, the coins are picked up smoothly by the tape and are carried forward with it thereafter (three such coins are shown in FIGURE 5, reference 21A, 22A and 23A respectively).

Near each end of the bed plate 8 there is an upright packet magazine 25A of suitable size and shape adapted loosely to hold a stack of the packets of cigarettes or other goods to which the coins are to be taped. In the illustrated example of the invention each packet magazine consists of four upright angle sectioned posts at each corner of the magazine, so spaced as loosely to embrace the respective corners of packets stacked in the magazine. The front pus-her elements 18 of the ram element are each adapted during each forward stroke of the corresponding end of the ram to displace the bottom packet from the stack in a manner analagous to the beforedescribed displacement of coins from the coin magazines. The stroke of the ram element after it strikes the bottom packet is preferably slightly greater than the length of the packet so that the bottom packet is displaced forwardly by a distance somewhat greater than its own length and when the ram element retracts and allows the former second bottom packet in the stack to drop, there is a space between that packet and the one previously displaced by the ram. The position of the two packets is then as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 5, P1 being the former bottom packet and P2 the former second bottom packet.

At the commencement of operations, each tape 24A is fed by hand up through the corresponding slot 25 and is adhered manually to the bottom packet in the corresponding stack. When the apparatus is then put into operation and the bottom packet is pushed forwardly to the P1 position, the tape is also drawn from the reel and thereafter continues to be fed intermittently in this fashion until the reel is exhausted. Each slot 25 is positioned relative to its associated packet magazine 25A such that the coins previously placed on the tape are positioned squarely under the stack of packets at the end of each tape feeding movement. Sufiicient clearance is provided between the bottom face of each pusher 18 and the bed plate 8 so that the pusher may retract without interfering with the tape or the coins on the tape at its end of the apparatus.

Once either end of the ram element has retracted sufi'iciently to allow a stack of packets to descend, there will be two packets in contact with the tape at the corresponding end of the apparatus and covering the coins thereon, the packet P1 just pushed forward by the ram and the bottom packet P2 of the stack; these packets are separated due to the length of the stroke of the ram as mentioned earlier. These two packets P1 and P2 are then in the tape cutting station. Two axially movable pull rods 28 are provided, one associated with each end of the apparatus and as the end of the ram element in question continues to retract a striker arm 26 on that end contacts an abutment 27 on the back end of the corresponding pull rod 28, moving the rod against the effect of its return spring 29 and so moving a cam block 30 fixed to the rods front end. Thus the final part of the retraction of either end of the ram element causes a consequent retraction of the cam block 30 at the corresponding end of the apparatus. Each cam block 30 has a follower element 30A in contact with one end of a corresponding one of two pivotally mounted follower arms 31, the other end of which carries a knife blade 32. The arrangement is such that retraction of a cam block 30 causes the correspondilig carrier arm 31 to pivot and its knife blade 32 to rise and sever the tape between the two packets in the tape cutting station at the end of the apparatus corresponding to the cam block 30. This severing of the tape is facilitated by means of spring steel bridge pieces 33 and one adjacent to the foot of each packet magazine 25A, and each of which bears down upon the foremost packet P1 in the tape cutting station of its end of the apparatus so as to hold the packet P1 firmly while the cut is being made.

Each knife blade 32 is preferably backed by a thick backing st-rip 31A (as illustrated in FIGURE 5) which folds over the protruding end portions of the tape after it has been cut and presses those end portions against the end faces of the packets P l and P2 between which the knife rises after cutting the tape.

The pull rods and cam blocks are biased by their return springs 29 so as to return to their rest position and to allow the knives to drop clear of the packets during the early part of the forward stroke of the respective ends of the ram element. If desired there may be suflicient space between each group of coin magazines and its associated packet magazine for at least one set of coins to 'halt with the tape during the return stroke of the corresponding end of the ram at a position intermediate of the coin and packet magazines. In this event a spring loaded pad may be positioned above the halted coins in such a way as to be struck and depressed by the back edge of the pusher element (when the ram element is almost fully retracted) so as to bear down firmly upon the coins to make sure they are well adhered to the tape.

The goods magazine is preferably provided at its top end with a carton supporting chute, adapted to hold a carton with a plurality of packets in it to facilitate transfer of such packets from the carton into the packet mazazine.

While the above described double ended apparatus is the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that the simplest form of apparatus would be single ended, and may then comprise all of the set of apparatus to the left of the center leg 9 of the illustrated apparatus with the ram element terminating at one end with the bridge piece 17. On the other hand, more than two sets of apparatus may be driven by the one motor with each set radiating outwardly from a centrally placed motor.

In other examples of the invention the cutting knife is a thin knife which severs the tape at the end of the packet so that the piece of tape applied to each packet is substantially the same length as that packet. In this instance pressure pads or the like may rise at one with the knife to press the portions of the tape on each side of the coins into contact with the bottom face of the packet.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for taping coins to packets which com prises: a frame member; at least one coin dispensing magazine mounted on said frame member; means to feed a length of adhesive tape along said frame below and offset from said magazine and to deposit thereon a coin from said magazine; a second dispensing magazine containing packets mounted on said frame adjacent to said coin magazine; means to deposit a packet from said second magazine onto said coin fed from said first magazine and said length of tape and to advance said packet and said coin on said length of tape along said frame; and cutting and pressing means mounted on said frame adjacent said second magazine and actuated by the advance of said packet and said coin to sever said length of tape and to press the ends thereof into contact with said packet.

2. Apparatus for taping coins to packets which comprises: a supporting frame member; a first magazine mounted on said frame and adapted to loosely contain an upright stack of coins; a holder for a reel of adhesive, tape so mounted on said frame that a flight of tape may be extended from the reel into a path below and offset from said first magazine; a reciprocable coin pusher adapted during its forward stroke to move the bottom. co n m.

the stack thereof and to emplace it on said flight and during its return stroke to allow the stack of coins in said first magazine to drop; a second magazine mounted on said frame adjacent said first magazine and positioned above the said flight of tape fed from said reel and adapted to contain an upright stack of packets; a reciprocalble packet pusher operative during its forward stroke to move the bottom packet from the stack thereof and during its return stroke to allow the stack of packets to drop so that the former second bottom packet drops on the coin emplaced on said flight, said second magazine being so located that said dropped packet covers said coin and a part of the tape including portions projecting beyond the coin in both directions; a knife actuated by said packet pusher to sever the tape between the bottom packet of the stack and the packet which was displaced by the immediately preceding stroke of said packet pusher; and a thick backing strip mounted on said knife and adapted to fold over the protruding end portions of the tape after it has been cut and to press said end portions against said packets.

EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

R. I. SMITH, M. L. KATZ, Assistant Examiners. 

2. APPARATUS FOR TAPING COINS TO PACKETS WHICH COMPRISES: A SUPPORTING FRAME MEMBER; A FIRST MAGAZINE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND ADAPTED TO LOOSELY CONTAIN AN UPRIGHT STACK OF COINS; A HOLDER FOR A REEL OF ADHESIVE TAPE SO MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME THAT A FLIGHT OF TAPE MAY BE EXTENDED FROM THE REEL INTO A PATH BELOW AND OFFSET FROM SAID FIRST MAGAZINE; A RECIPROCABLE COIN PUSHER ADAPTED DURING ITS FORWARD STROKE TO MOVE THE BOTTOM COIN FROM THE STACK THEREOF AND TO EMPLACE IT ON SAID FLIGHT AND DURING ITS RETURN STROKE TO ALLOW THE STACK OF COINS IN SAID FIRST MAGAZINE TO DROP; A SECOND MAGAZINE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ADJACENT SAID FIRST MAGAZINE AND POSITIONED ABOVE THE SAID FLIGHT OF TAPE FED FROM SAID REEL AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN AN URIGHT STACK OF PACKETS; AND RECIPROCABLE PACKET PUSHER OPERATIVE DURING ITS FORWARD STROKE TO MOVE THE BOTTOM PACKET FROM THE STACK THEREOF AND DURING ITS RETURN STROKE TO ALLOW THE STACK OF PACKETS TO DROP SO THAT THE FORMER SECOND BOTTOM PACKET DROPS ON THE COIN EMPLACED ON SAID FLIGHT, SAID SECOND MAGAZINE BEING SO LOCATED THAT SAID DROPPED PACKET COVERS SAID COIN AND A PART OF THE TAPE INCLUDING PORTIONS PROJECTING BEYOND THE COIN IN BOTH DIRECTIONS; A KNIFE ACUATED BY SAID PACKET PUSHER TO SEVER THE TAPE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM PACKET OF THE STACK AND THE PACKET WHICH WAS DISPLACED BY THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING STROKE OF SAID PACKET PUSHER AND A THICK BACKING STRIP MOUNTED ON SAID KNIFE AND ADAPTED TO FOLD OVER THE PROTRUDING END PORTIONS OF THE TAPE AFTER IT HAS BEEN CUT AND TO PRESS SAID END PORTIONS AGAINST SAID PACKETS. 